Some people are born leaders. They take control of difficult situations with confidence. They inspire others naturally. And it all seems to come so easily. But research has shown that the leadership abilities that appear to be inborn traits can actually be developed and nurtured during childhood: Researcher Carl Brungardt found in 1997 that leadership...
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No parent wants to subject their child to unnecessary emotional distress, but sometimes, divorce is unavoidable. Middle schoolers already feel insecure about themselves. When a change like a divorce hits their family, it’s normal for everyone to have a wide variety of emotions to navigate. Research has shown that “although divorce is hard and often...
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How do you raise a compassionate, honest, and respectful son in an age that is anything but? Too often, character education seems “tacked on” at America’s middle schools (as one English teacher describes): signs posted—and ignored—in the hallways saying “share with others” and “be honest,” single-semester classes unconnected to the rest of the curriculum. “All...
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The messy room is as close as anything gets to a universal parenting challenge. One psychologist told the Chicago Tribune messy rooms have been the top complaint of parents for as long as such records have been kept. Other articles describe the teen and pre-teen bedroom as a “battleground,” offer advice for “winning the chore...
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As you browse through the Junior Boarding School Association’s list of junior boarding schools in the Northeast, you’ll find that some schools are comprised of almost entirely day students with a handful of boarders. The populations of others are made up of varying mixes of boarding students and day students—students who live off-campus with their...
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As you contemplate your son’s educational future, one thing is sure. You want him to attend one of the nation’s top boarding schools. The question is, when? The obvious, and most popular, starting points are ninth and tenth grades. Ninth grade because it’s the natural beginning of the traditional four-year high school experience. It’s also...
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From the perspective of families and students, the process of applying to some of the nation’s top boarding and day schools can be inscrutable, and at times the decisions rendered can feel arbitrary. With schools continuing to champion record breaking numbers of applicant pools and increasingly shrinking percentages of acceptances offered, families struggle to unpack...
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Are you hoping to get your son into one of the most selective boarding schools in the U.S.? Even with most impeccable resume, you and your son will have your work cut out for you. Every year, elite secondary boarding schools like Andover, Exeter, and Deerfield admit only a fraction of the hopefuls who apply....
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If you hope to get your son into one of the most prestigious secondary boarding schools in the country, you should start planning as soon as you know that’s what you want. As Scott Duddy, Associate Director of Placement here at The Fessenden School said in a recent article, “I always encourage parents to explore...
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Top boarding schools like Exeter, Andover, and Groton offer an excellent education with high-quality facilities and some of the world’s best high school educators. They enjoy sterling reputations and many of their graduates go on to first-rate colleges like Harvard, MIT, and Brown. But, these top boarding schools don’t accept just anyone. Exeter, for example,...
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